Venezuela’s Maduro eludes drone attack

Government calls it failed assassination attempt

WASHINGTON – Two drones packed with explosives reportedly flew toward Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday night in what the government has described as a failed assassination attempt.

Here’s a look at the details:

What happened?

Assailants launched two drones filled with a total of more than four pounds of plastic explosives toward Maduro, his wife and other top Venezuelan leaders, according to the Associated Press.

The attack occurred while Maduro was making a speech at a huge outdoor event in Caracas to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the country’s national guard. One of the drones was set to explode above the president while the second was set to detonate in front of him, according to Interior Minister Nestor Reverol.

The Venezuelan military knocked one of the drones off course electronically. The second drone crashed into an apartment building about two blocks from where Maduro was speaking to hundreds of troops, Reverol said.

Photos taken at the event showed security officers surrounding Maduro with some sort of large black shields as they escorted him away. “That drone came after me,” Maduro said. “But there was a shield of love that always protects us. I’m sure I’ll live for many more years.”

Who launched the drone attack?

The Venezuelan government alleges that Maduro’s political opponents conspired with individuals in Miami, Fla., and Bogota, Colombia, to try to kill Maduro. They have so far offered no real proof to support this claim, and opposition leaders charge that Maduro is using the attack as an excuse to crack down on his critics.

Government authorities said Sunday that they have detained six people – whom they described as “terrorists and assassins” — in connection with the attack. Among those detained: a man who took part in 2014 protests against the government and a man who had a warrant out for his arrest for attacking a military barracks.

Maduro accused the “far right,” working with conspirators in Miami and Bogota – including Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos – of launching the attack. Colombia’s government has denied any role in the violence.

Maduro, who accuses the U.S. of supporting his opponents, called on President Donald Trump to hold the “terrorist group” accountable. John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, said Sunday he would like to see solid evidence to support Maduro’s claims.

“If the government of Venezuela has hard information that they want to present to us that would show a potential violation of U.S. criminal law, we’ll take a serious look at it,” Bolton said.

Venezuela in economic crisis

Venezuela is in the midst of an economic crisis that has been described as worse than the Great Depression that devastated the United States and much of the rest of the world in the 1930s.

The inflation rate is set to hit a stunning 13,000 percent this year. There are shortages of food and medicine and a soaring crime rate, spurring refugees to flee into neighboring countries. More than 600,000 Venezuelans have crossed into Colombia, and Brazil has declared a state of emergency because of all the Venezuelans sweeping into that nation.

Maduro is viewed by the United States and other democratic countries as a corrupt, left-wing dictator who imposes strict controls on his people and on the press. He won re-election to a sixyear term in May, but the process was widely viewed as a rigged farce.

The Trump administration imposed new economic sanctions on Venezuela immediately after the election in an effort to stop Maduro from selling off government debt to enrich himself.

What could happen next?

Reverol said there could be more arrests. Critics fear an even greater government crackdown on Maduro’s political opponents. “The investigation will get to the bottom of this,” Maduro said. “No matter who falls.”

XINHUA VIA AP